The other half of Xavier's dominating inside combination, 6-6 center Ta'Shia Phillips is a great rebounder and efficient scorer. Many of her field goals come courtesy of putbacks, helping her shoot an incredible 60.8 percent from the floor during her career. The two-time Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Phillips is averaging 15.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game (good for 2nd in the nation) as a senior in helping the Musketeers compile a 28-2 record and the #5 ranking in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll.

A 6-6 big-body center from Xavier who is an efficient scorer (61% for her career) and great rebounder (11.7 rpg).

Graham Hays, ESPN.com

Sometimes it feels like teams sacrifice a bit of skill or passion for precious inches in the post. Phillips is a reminder of what it looks like when you don't have to make any such compromises. The 6-foot-6 true center is a top-tier post defender and a dominant rebounder; she is as good an offensive rebounder as the college game has seen in recent years, indicative of the effort she gives on every possession. Xavier coach Kevin McGuff also points to her Team USA experience as instructive in raising her conditioning profile.

Mike SchmaltzXavier Worldwide Radio play-by-play

Building success on rebounding abilities
Ta'Shia Phillips' rebounding ability will certainly be a coveted asset for any WNBA franchise. Those skills are just part of her portfolio. Ta'Shia displays a relentless will to outwork her opponents and both ends of the floor. She's a complete post presence when one combines her competitive drive with her polished ability to impose her will in the blocks.

Game Evolution
It's been a pleasure to watch Ta'Shia polish her post skills through her Xavier career. She's made the most dramatic strides developing post moves that earn her scoring opportunities close to the goal. She additionally developed a great deal of patience and poise after drawing double- and triple-teams throughout her career. She possesses an ability to maintain her focus amidst flying hands and significant contact. Ta'Shia also has progressed at the free throw line and is taking pride in improving her percentage.

Offensive Game
She combines power with precision. Ta'Shia utilizes her mobility through drop steps that gain her opportunities to create shots on the blocks, baseline and center of the lane. She reads defenses, calculates her best options and quickly executes. She also runs the floor well in a Xavier system that consistently creates transition opportunities. She's been rewarded for her efforts by cleaning up second chance opportunities or layups trailing fast breaks. She is in the best physical shape of her college career and poised to succeed on the next level.

Defensive game
Ta'Shia presents an intimidating presence in the post. She's displayed impressive defensive mobility in executing hedges at the top the key and her tactical strength helps her move attackers away from the goal and disrupts shooting rhythms. Her mobility also helps her gain superior shot-blocking position. A final impressive portion of her defensive game is the ability to aggressively compete for long stretches in important games with three and four fouls without being disqualified.

Leadership
Ta'Shia is a consistent floor leader and is often vocal during on-floor huddles. You can see her competitive drive displayed in her facial expressions throughout games. A television microphone once picked up what I thought was an interesting sound bite. Ta'Shia set up in the low block for a possible free throw rebound in a close game. She gained her teammate's attention at the free throw line and simply stated, "Here we go..."